Kite balloon



June 16, 1925.

5 HfG. area's KITE BALLOON Filed Dec. 17, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 16, 1925.

H. G. GIBBS KITE BALLOON 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Debq 1'7. 1924 (WWI Patented June 16, 1925.

HERBERT GRAY GIBBS, or Lennon, ENGLAND.

xrrn BALLOON.

Application filed December 17,1924. Serial No. 36,379. i

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, HERBERT GRAY GIBBS, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at 19, Surrey Street, Strand, London, IV. C. 2, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in KiteBalloons, of which the following is a specification. V

This invention relates to the construction of kite balloons, of the type in which the balloon is permitted to expand or to contract as the volume of the gas increases or diminishes, owing to decrease or increase in atmospheric pressure or to changes in tem perature of the gas.

According to this invention, the balloon is constructed in streamline form, and is of a capacity sufficient to contain the gas when expanded by diminution in atmospheric pressure'to the capacity required for attaining great altitudes, say for instance 30,000 ft.

Longitudinally within the balloon four cqui-distant riggingbands are attached to the fabric, the location of the two upper. rigging bands being equi-distant from a vertical plane passing through the longitudinal axis of the balloon, and the two lower rigging bands being also equi-distant from the same vertical plane, c

The rigging band on the port side of the upper pair of'rigging bands, is connected by elastic. tensionmemberswith the rigging band on the starboard'side of the lower pair 7 of rigging bands; and the rigging band on the starboard side of the upper pair of rigging bands is connected by a separate system of elastic tension members with the rigging band on the port side of the lower pair of rigging bands; The said elast c tension members may be composed of indla rubber, although they may if desired be constructed of steel springs; butindia rubber elastic is preferable in most instances in order to facilitate packing of the kite balloon when deflated. The said elastic tension members may be circular in cross section and spaced apart in the manner of lacing,

the distance apart of each strand and thestrength of such strands depending on the strength of the elastic connectlons employed, and on the degree of pressure at which it 1s desired to maintain the balloon,

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view partly in section, showing the after part of a kite balloon with the interior rigging bands, the

elastic tension members being arranged I diagonally across the balloon, and

Flg. 2 is a cross section of the same baloon.

Figs. 3 and 4 are detail views of the method of attachment of a rigging band to the interior of the balloon fabric, and

Fig. 5 is a further detail illustrating a convenient method of distributing the tension of the tension members onto the rig ging band and thence to the balloon fabric.

Fig. 6 illustrates an alternativeconstruction of elastic balloon constructed'in accor ance with this invention. 0 0

Referring particularly to Figs. 1, 2 and 6, A is the starboardupper rigging, band, and B the port upper rigging band. Cris the starboard lower rigging band, and D the port lower rigging band. E, E are the elastic members connecting the starboard upper rigging band A with the port lower rigging band D, and F, F are the elastic members connecting the port upper rigging band B. with the starboard lower rigging band C. i

As shown at Fig. 2, the tension members E and F have, caused the rigging bands A and D to be drawn together and the rigging bands B and C also to be drawn together, to the extent at which the pressure of the gas balances the tension on the elastic members E and F, and .in the dotted line around the full line section the balloon isshown to have expanded to'a larger cubic capacity, either by reason of diminutionof external atmospheric pressure due for instance to increasing altitude, or to expansion of the gas contained in the balloon due to increase in temperature. In such case the expansion of the balloon increases the tension on'the elastic members E and F.

In the modification shown at Fig. '6, the

rigging bands, instead of being placed equidistant circumferentially around the longitudinal axis of the balloon, are placed in symmetrical positions but closer together in vertical directions and farther apart in horizontal directions than when they are equidistant circumferentially. This increases the surface of the balloon on the upper side and on the lower side where two large lobes are formed, and diminishes'the surface of the portion of the balloon on the port and starboard sides where smaller lobes are formed. The effect of changing the propor tion in this way is to lessen the liability of the collection of snow or water in the longitudinal folds of theballoon outside the location ofv the rigging bands A, B, C and D. The larger lobe on the under side of the balloon also facilitates the suitable attachment of the patches to which the rigging G of the car suspension is attached. 7

The elastic tension members may completely traverse the balloon diagonally as before described, or they may be shortened by the introduction of fabric gussets eX- tending inwardly from the rigging bands. At Figs. 8 and 4 a suitable method of attachment of the rigging band to the fabric of the balloon is shown. The band is constructed of fabric doubled upon itself so as to leave two edges A A for attachment to the interior walls of the balloon,

- the folded portion A forming an inwardly extending pocket to receive wooden pegs H for locking the ends of the elastic tension members E in position. This folded portion A may be extended whereby the shortening of the elastic tension members is facilitated.

Instead of, or in addition to an inwardly extended folded portion A of the rigging bands, non-elastic cords may be employed with the object of reducing the length of the elastic tension members. The non-elastic cords may, for example, be attached to the rigging bands as shown at Fig. 5, where the elastic tension members E are attached to divide crows feet E E which in their turn are attached to eyelets E in the folded portion A of the rigging band.

The usual tail fins may be employed with their centres at angles radiating 120 apart, and thesaid fins may be made to communicate with the interior of the balloon and contain gas instead of air, which is the general practice. The inflation of the said fins with gas maintains their form, while the balloon is on the ground, and promotes stability when letting out and hauling down when the balloon is near the ground.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. An elastic kite balloon, in which the gas is maintained at the desired degree of pressure by means of tension members, four rigging bands on the interior of the balloon, two on the starboard side and two on the port side, elastic tension members connecting the upper starboard rigging band to the lower port rigging band, and elastic tension members connecting the upper port rigging band to the lower starboard rigging band.

I 2; An elastic kite balloon, in which the gas is maintained at the desired degree of pressure by means of tension members, four rigging bands spaced equi-distant apart on the interior of the balloon, two on the starboard side and two on the port side, elastic tension members connecting the upper starboard rigging band to the lower port rigging band, and elastic tension members connecting the upper port rigging band to the lower starboard rigging band.

8. An elastic kite balloon, in which the gas is maintained at the desired degree of pressure by means of tension members, four rigging bands on the interior of the balloon, two on the starboard side and two on the port side, the distance between the starboard rigging bands and the port rigging bands being greater than the distance of upper and lower rigging bands in each pair from each other, elastic tension members connecting the upper starboard rigging band to the lower port rigging band, and elastic tension members connecting the upper port rigging band to the lower starboard rigging band.

i In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

HERBERT GRAY GIBBS.

itnesses R. UNGAR. LESLIE F. Rooms. 

